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Bangkok Post January 19: Editorial
- Subject: Bangkok Post January 19: Editorial
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 15:51:00
January 19, 1998
Editorial
Australia mulls
drug law changes
Mr Yongyuth hung up his white coat six
years ago to become an administrator,
but he has not been able to dampen his
passion for research, and so is soon to
return to the lab full-time.
Australia is trying to come to grips with a serious epidemic of
drug use. As in a few other countries, some otherwise sensible
people see simple and instant solutions. Others see a hard, long
and perhaps even violent road ahead as the nation attempts to
deal with a grim problem in an earnest manner. Amid the huge
amount of new and emotional data that reached Australians last
week, there was one missing consideration. Australia is not yet
considering what effect any drug policy changes may have on the
rest of the world.
Australia's drug week began around the world swimming
championships. A Chinese swimmer was picked off by
Australian customs agents with banned hormones. The outrage in
Australia was correctly loud and sweeping. The Australian
national coach called for a world competition ban on all Chinese
swimmers. The Australian sports minister, Andrew Thomson,
said a four-year ban on swimmer Yuan Yuan would send a
message that performance enhancing drugs will not be tolerated.
There was not a shred of proof that Yuan Yuan ever had used
the drug - it is, in fact undetectable.
The next drugs shock was an announcement in Melbourne that
Victoria state police intend to support what is, in effect,
legalisation of marijuana. The national Bureau of Criminal
Intelligence said police should ignore use of marijuana by
individuals. Marijuana accounts for 81 percent of all Australian
drug arrests.
The theory here is that by ignoring marijuana, police will have
more time to target drug syndicates and big-time dealers of
heroin, amphetamines, cocaine and other harmful drugs. It
sounds good in theory. The problem Australians must decide is
whether the theory can be put into practice for the first time in
history.
The policy has failed in every place it has been tried. In places
where there is real or effective decriminalisation, use and sale of
hard drugs is growing and profiting. There is, indeed, no link
between incompetent police work against marijuana and
successful crackdowns against hard drugs.
The Australian department of justice, meanwhile, reports that
two-third of all robberies in the country are by people mixed up
with drugs. Well over half the nation's burglaries and car thefts
are committed by the same people. Horrified to learn that drug
users are often thieves, alleged leaders recommend making it
legal to use drugs - including heroin. That way, presumably, drug
users would still be thieves but would only face one charge.
It is up to Australians to resolve their conflicting data and
opinions and recommendations. But they would be wise if they
remember to factor foreign relations into their calculations.
Thailand has harsh drug investigations and penalties largely at the
urging of its foreign friends. The leaders of Australia and other
countries called on us to spend vast resources and new law
enforcement to help them. We did this, willingly, after serious
discussion.
If Australia and other countries now wish to change their
anti-drug strategy, they should first consult us. Thailand is no
longer a major drug producer, of course. But our drug policies
still have much influence on other nations in the region and
abroad. If Australia, for example, wants to legalise drug use, it
could become a new market for those countries which do
produce drugs, including marijuana.
Thailand has no desire to supply drugs, nor to be supplied by
others. But it is unwise in a small, interconnected world for any
country to make sudden policy changes without careful
consultation. The cure could be far worse than the present
disease.
Mastering the art of research
KANITHA INCHUKUL
Yongyuth Yuthavong is finishing six years as director of
Thailand's top science and technology agency and is returning to
research on malaria.
"I was born to be a researcher," said Mr Yongyuth recently at
the new headquarters of the National Science and Technology
Development Agency (NSTDA).
Mr Yongyuth's tenure at the agency will end next month and he
is expected to be succeeded by Pairash Thajchayapong, the
current director of the National Electronics and Computer
Technology Centre, which comes under the supervision of the
NSTDA.
The NSTDA was set up in 1991 to play the leading role in
supporting research and technology development after it was
agreed the Science Ministry was not doing a good enough job in
this area and was too greatly concerned with policy matters.
"It was the first time the country had an international-standard
support system for science and technology research," said Mr
Yongyuth.
"Financial support is enough to conduct research work and so
economic reasons are taken into account when considering
backing for each research undertaking."
People in the sciences such as Mr Yongyuth had been trying to
get the NSTDA off the ground ever since the National Centre
for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec) was set up
in 1983. Mr Yongyuth was a director of Biotec from
1985-1991.
There are three technology agencies under the supervision of the
NSTDA: the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology, the National Metal and Materials Technology
Centre, and the National Electronics and Computer Technology
Centre.
"More than 20 inventions, with the support and cooperation of
the NSTDA and the inventors, have been patented and most
have received backing on a commercial scale." he said. "Our
flagship project is the start of the science park.
"I think our work is going well but it needs the continuous
support of policymakers."
Mr Yongyuth was born in Lop Buri in 1944. He is married to
Onchuma and they have a 21-year-old daughter Namon and a
12-year-old son Rasa.
The foundation of Mr Yongyuth's career is in research. He spent
around 30 years in this practice after studying chemistry at the
University of London in Chemistry and gaining a doctorate
degree in organic chemistry from Oxford University.
His interest in research began at Mahidol University where he
studied medicine and decided the work of chemists was more
interesting than spending a lot of time taking care of patients.
His studies in Britain were covered by a Thai government
scholarship.
He returned from aboard to Mahidol University as a researcher
and lecturer. He said the university was very supportive of
research and received the cooperation of the Rockefeller
Foundation.
During his six years at the NSTDA, Mr Yongyuth has continued
with his research work. The lab on the fifth floor is used to
facilitate his research and his role as an adviser to the agency's
research team.
Thai researchers are best known worldwide for their work with
the diseases thalassaemia and malaria, according to Mr
Yongyuth.
Mr Yongyuth's own area of expertise is the biochemistry of
malaria, including the characterisation of the parasite pathway
and enzymes as potential drug targets, the mechanism-based
development of anti-malarials, biochemical alterations of red cells
in malaria infections, and the interaction of genetically variant red
blood cells and malarial parasites.
He received Outstanding Scientist of Thailand Awards from both
the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology
and Science Society of Thailand in 1984.
"Research is an art, and the profundity of the art gives me
pleasure," he said.
When he is not engaged in the art of research, Mr Yongyuth
likes to write short stories in his rare free time, even though it
takes many years to finish each story. Four scientific stories have
been completed and one has been published in the Thai language
curriculum for Mathayom 5.
The story, "The beloved sun", is about a solar eclipse which
takes place 70 years from now when the sun is the prime source
of energy and people live in photo-voltaic shells.
Mr Yongyuth's return to full-time research has been planned
methodically and a project has already been set up.
The scientist says he worries about the development of science
and technology in Thailand as progress is not keeping pace with
our need for technology, especially given the current economic
downturn.
"Thailand is more developed technologically than less wealthy
countries, but we are far behind Taiwan or Korea. I'm worried
that Thailand cannot survive if technology development and
scientific research are not included in our national agenda."
Mr Yongyuth has attempted since late last year to have the
government approve a 15-billion-baht proposal to strengthen the
industrial sector's technological competence, although he admits
this will be difficult given our financial problems.
"Although it might not be easy having this plan approved, I am
always hopeful," said Mr Yongyuth, a strong advocate of the
idea that technology development is the key to the country's
survival.
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Last Modified: Mon, Jan 19, 1998